Psalms 69
1 For the music director. To the tune “Lilies.” A psalm of David. God, please save me, because the water is up to my neck!
For the leader. On shoshannim. Of David. Save me, O God; for the waters are threatening my life.
2 I'm sinking deeper into the mud—there's no solid ground for me to stand. I find myself in deep water; floods wash over me.
I am sunk in depths of mire, where ground there is none. I am come into deep deep waters, the flood overwhelms me.
3 I'm so tired of screaming out for help my throat is totally raw. My eyes are worn out looking for my God to help me.
I am weary of crying, my throat is parched, my eyes are wasted with waiting for God.
4 Those who hate me for no reason are more than the number of hairs on my head. Many enemies try to destroy me by telling lies. How can I give back what I didn't steal?
More than the hairs of my head are those who wantonly hate me. More than my bones in number are those who are falsely my foes. That which I never robbed, how am I then to restore?
5 God, you know how foolish I am! My sins are not hidden from you.
O God, you know my folly, my guilt is not hidden from you.
6 Don't let those who trust you be ashamed because of me, Lord God Almighty. Don't let those who follow you be disgraced because of me, God of Israel.
Through me let not any be shamed, who wait for you, Lord God of hosts. Through me let not those be confounded who seek you, O God of Israel.
7 For your sake I put up with the insults; my face shows my embarrassment.
It’s in your cause that I have borne taunts, and my face has been covered with shame;
8 I have become a foreigner to my brother Israelites; a stranger to my very own brothers.
I became to my kindred a foreigner, to my mother’s sons a stranger.
9 My devotion for your house is burning me up inside; the insults of those who insulted you have fallen on me.
It was zeal for your house that consumed me, and the insults they hurled at you fell upon me.
10 I wept and I fasted, but they mocked me;
When I chastened myself with fasting, they took occasion to taunt me.
11 I mourned in sackcloth, but they laughed at me.
When I put on a garment of sackcloth, they made me the theme of a taunt-song.
12 People sitting by the town gate gossip about me. I'm the subject of rude songs sung by drunks.
Those who sit in the gate make sport of me in the music of drunken songs.
13 But my prayer is to you, Lord, believing this is a good time to respond to me. God, in your wonderful trustworthy love, answer me with your sure salvation.
But I pray to you, Lord, for a time of favour. In your great love answer me; with your loyal help, save me
14 Please rescue me from the mud—don't let me sink! Save me from those who hate me and from drowning in the deep waters!
from sinking down in the mire. Lift me out of the deep deep waters,
15 Don't let the flood waters wash over me. Don't let the deep waters pull me down. Don't let the grave close over me.
that the rushing flood may not drown me, that the deep may not swallow me up, nor the pit close her mouth upon me.
16 Please answer my prayers, Lord, for you are good and love me with your trustworthy love; because of your kindness, please help me.
Answer me, Lord, in your gracious kindness, turn to me in your great compassion.
17 Don't turn away from me, your servant. Please answer me quickly because I'm in trouble.
Hide not your face from your servant, for I am in trouble; O answer me speedily.
18 Come here and rescue me; set me free from my enemies.
Draw near to me, redeem me; because of my enemies, ransom me.
19 You—you know my shame, my disgrace, my humiliation. You see everything my enemies are doing.
You know how I am insulted; in your sight are all my foes.
20 Insults have broken my heart—I am so sick there is no cure. I looked for some sympathy, but there was no one! Nobody showed me any compassion.
Insult has broken my heart, past cure are my shame and confusion. For pity I looked – there was none! And for comforters, but I found none.
21 Instead they gave me bitter herbs to eat and vinegar to drink.
Poison they gave me for food, and to slake my thirst they gave vinegar.
22 May the table set before them become a trap for them, a net that catches them, bringing punishment.
May their table, outspread, be a trap to them, and their peace-offerings be a snare.
23 May their eyes become blind so they cannot see, and may their backs always be bent low in dejection.
May their eyes be darkened and blind, make them shake without ceasing.
24 Pour out your judgment on them; chase them down in your fierce anger.
Pour your indignation upon them, let your burning wrath overtake them.
25 Let the places where they live be deserted. Let their homes be abandoned.
May their camp be a desolation, in their tents be there none to live.
26 For they persecute those you have punished, and make it even more painful for those you have disciplined.
For those whom you struck, they persecute, and those whom you wounded, they pain yet more.
27 Punish them for the evil they have done. Don't acquit them.
Charge them with sin upon sin, may they not be acquitted by you.
28 Blot out their names from the Book of Life. Don't let them be listed with those who do right.
From the book of life be they blotted, may their names not be written with the righteous.
29 But I am suffering and in physical pain. God, please save me and keep me safe.
Lift me, O God, by your help above my pain and misery.
30 I will praise God's character in song; I will say how incredible he is and how thankful I am.
Then will I praise God in song and magnify him with thanksgiving,
31 The Lord is happier with this than with offering animals as sacrifices: cattle, or bulls with horns and hooves.
which shall please the Lord better than ox, or than bullock with horns and hoofs.
32 The humble will see this and be happy. May God encourage everyone who comes to him.
The oppressed shall rejoice at the sight. You who seek after God, let your heart revive.
33 God hears the poor, and he does not ignore his people who are in prison.
For the Lord listens to the poor, he does not despise his prisoners.
34 Praise him heaven and earth, the seas and everything that lives in them!
Let the heavens and the earth sing his praises, the seas, and all creatures that move in them.
35 For God will save Zion, and rebuild the cities of Judah. They will live there and own the land.
For God will bring help to Zion, and build up the cities of Judah, his people shall live there in possession.
36 The descendants of those who follow him will inherit the land, and those who love him will live there.
His servants’ children shall have it for heritage, and those who love him shall live therein.
